Dec 20 2015

LIFE AFTER NANO

By guest blogger, author, editor, and extraordinaire Jami Gray

You survived Nanowrimo, the hellish month of November, where you churned out words by the bucketful. You even made it to the final two—THE END, so now what? Do you drag battered fingers to the keyboard to carve out a synopsis and query letter, then attach both to your story and send the entire package winging off to a publisher or agent?

No! (Slapping at your sore, beleaguered digits) Step away from the keyboard, dear writer friend, exhaustion is playing tricks on your poor brain. You can’t forgo an important part of your creative process—the honing of your story.

You wouldn’t present a semi-cooked egg for consumption just because your caffeine fix hasn’t kicked in, right? Then don’t serve the same to a prospective agent or publisher.

The point of presenting your pretty package of story, query, and synopsis to the alters of publishers or agents, is to share your polished gem of beautiful craftsmanship when it’s at its best. This will elicit “ohhs” and “awws” of stunned amazement from said alter deities, and, if the fates are kind, culminate with a blessing of a contract.

This is not to say your story treasure isn’t beautiful, but if you set it aside during the merry month of wintery celebration, revisit it during the dawning of the new year, and then humbly offer it to your support group of choice (critique, beta readers, editors), you may discover that what appeared beautifully concocted in November, could bypass “beautiful” and rocket to “brilliant” with a little polishing here and there.

Take the time to let your story mature, let others sample it, and gauge the reactions. Did your plot twist sneak up on your test readers, or were they faced with it straight out of the gate? Was the emotional journey of your main character fraught with realistic peril, or were the challenges faced not cruel enough to bring them to their knees before raising them higher than before? Did you add an extra arm in that fight scene? Did a character change hair color or personality without explanation?

When we spend a month snuggled up to our story, it’s hard to see the little things, like the fact it prefers to stay in PJs all day long and eat chocolate bonbons, while expecting you to clean the house for impending company. Taking a step back and a deep breath will ensure your darlings won’t need your constant support to shine. In fact, giving them space is necessary for them to find their inner core of brilliance and shine their creative light upon unsuspecting agents and publishers, luring them into a long-lasting relationship.

Nanowrimo isn’t the end, my writer friends, it’s simply the beginning of an exciting new journey, so like all good adventurers, be sure you’ve prepared accordingly.

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Dec 15 2015

Gift Ideas for Young Readers

Most of my friends know of my obsession with books, so I’m often asked for book recommendations. I’ve already bought many books for my family this year, and even worked on some theme related shirts. But if you’re stuck on ideas, here are a few. I tried to list a few popular ones you can’t go wrong with, and others if your kids are looking the next book after finishing a great series. If I’ve missed your favorite, please add it below.

Middle Grade Books

Rick Rordian is still huge.

One shirt on my son’s list

If your kids have already devoured his books you can try his special compilations Percy Jackson’s Greek God and Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes.

Still want more mythology? Try out the Goddess Girls or Heroes in Training by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams. There are geared for a younger audience but my kids love them.

Potter fans? You have a new illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone that is very popular right now.

Or try the Iron Trials by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Two great authors that give their own spin to the wizarding world, with action and adventure that will keep you or your kids flipping the pages.

HP bracelet on Amazon

My kids also love the Spirit Animals, which showcase a variety of NY Times bestselling authors.

Young Adult

There are so many great young adult books right now this list could go on forever. I’ll start with some new releases that are climbing the charts on goodreads.com

For the sci-fi fan, you can never go wrong with Brandon Sanderson who had the second installment in his Reckoners series, Firefight, out this year.

For fans of Hunger Games, try the 5^th Wave. It is a captivating about an alien invasion written by New York Times best seller Rick Yancey, and will soon be on the big screen.

One on my list for Santa (hint, hint) is An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir . It’s inspired by ancient Rome, and has the action, loyalty and love which draws me in.

Here are some of my favorites that I can pick up more than once:

*Sci-Fi: Scott Westerfield’s Uglies Series or Airborn by Kenneth Opal for a steam punk twist.

*Fantasy: Melissa Marr has a great fairy series, Wicked Lovely. Shannon Hale has so many clean, fun almost fairy tale like fantasy for any age, especially The Books of Bayern. I also love Grace Mercy by Robin LeFever which intertwines intertwines the history of medieval France with a coven of young assassins.

*Historical Fiction: Blood Red Horse by KM Grant is an exciting adventure as it goes through the Crusades with multiple points of view.

*Fiction: John Green captures the heart and soul of teenage years so well. You can’t go wrong with The Fault in our Stars, or Paper Towns.

This list could go on and on-I haven’t even touched adult fiction- but I have some Christmas shopping to get to. If all else fails, a gift card to a book store is always a treat for any bibliophile. I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season and hope it is filled with love and peace.

Dec 8 2015

Old School Dystopia

I love how dystopia has taken off lately. I devoured Hunger Games with everyone else and recently watched the fourth movie in the theaters. Suzanne Collins told of pain, love, and war masterfully, and of Katniss’s antagonist, the government.

I recently went back to some of the old school dystopian stories that I loved. And reading them a second time, helped me appreciate not only the story but the artistry involved in every word. I couldn’t help but mark up Fahrenheit 451 and pause in awe several times. 1984 left me with the haunting images that I’ll never forget. Another one off the beaten path I found was The Gate to Women’s Country by Sheri S. Tepper. There were secrets unseen that left my mind reeling for days.

Enjoying the revival of this genre makes me appreciate the classics all the more. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Ray Bradbury.

“Stuff your eyes with wonder… live as if you’d drop dead in 10 seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask no guarantees, ask for no security, there were never such an animal.”

Feb 1 2015

Foggy Arizona

I live in sunny Arizona, but this morning I woke to this.

I love the eerie feel of fog blanketing the parks and shadowing the streets. Such a minor setting element can change the feel of a town, a house or a create a whole character itself. One example of a great spectral setting is from my current book, The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. The forest in Fairfold comes alive with monsters, animals, and deadly fairies. It is the perfect read for a foggy morning, snuggled in with a warm drink.

Jan 18 2015

What Doesn’t Kill You May Make You a Writer

Lately, I have run into many personal memoirs. One recently that hit the news is by writer Allen Kurzweil. He has written fiction for years and is releasing a memoir about his experiences in boarding school with a bully. It was the ultimate therapy session he reported as he confronted his bully who was now in prison for fraud.

It reminds me of how personal writing can be, even in fiction. Writers often joke that if we don’t like you we will make you a character and kill you off. There is some truth in that. Writers pour their selves into every novel, and that includes our experiences. Good or bad our life molds the stories we tell.

I think a great writer can take those experiences and transfer the emotion into every page of their work. During revision, checking for emotion is near the top of my checklist.

Here is a classic example of the power of emotion from the book, Of Mice and Men:

“There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water.”

The setting is painted with emotion and characters in such a way that strikes us much harder than the color of leaves, or dry grass.

I hope we can all channel those moments that have touched us the most, and turn them into something beautiful. For quoting Steinbeck again, “There’s more beauty in truth, even if it is dreadful beauty.” (From one of my favorites, East of Eden.)

If anyone needs to be inspired by some memoirs, here are some that I enjoyed.

*Half a Life: A Memoir by Darin Strauss

* Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza

*The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

Jan 11 2015

I’ll Dot My “i”s, but I Want to Murder those Commas

I was never an English major, and my college years are hazy at best. But, wanting to be an author forced my hand at learning grammar. So venturing out of the fiction section, I found several grammar books.

I thought I would share some of my favorites below:

The Chicago Manual of Style

For the purely technical side of grammar, one of the books I recommend is The Chicago Manual. It is the bible of grammar, and it reads that way as well, slow and difficult. It has all the answers to my questions though, even if it takes me awhile to find them. They also offer on online edition which is relatively inexpensive and makes searching easier.

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark

This book breaks down the rules of grammar into easy, applicable tools to improve your writing. He has written several books that I enjoy, which says a lot given the subject manner.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr.

It’s a small book with a powerful punch. I’d recommend every aspiring writer to buy it and read it, more than once. It’s a simple book with basic truths about writing.

Grammar isn’t a one-time thing. Heck, I had to look up one-time versus onetime while writing this. I am constantly plucking away at my grammar books, reading a page here, searching for an answer there. So if you find yourself stuck on where that comma goes for the twentieth time, venture out of the fiction section to find help.

What grammar books do you find useful?

Jan 8 2015

Creating a Community

Writing is a solitary sport—or it was. It was often believed socially creative people navigated towards standup comedy, TV or film, or even dancing. There are a variety of avenues to express creativity. I choose sitting alone at my desk, letting my fingers fly over the keys and creating something new.

Yet, more and more I find myself being pushed outside my comfort zone. As a day time content writer, I am heavily encouraged to start a Facebook page and create an online community if I want to grow in the industry. As a fantasy writer, publishers advise us need to establish an online following over a year before you publish your first book. It is overwhelming at times.

But then, I text a member of my writing group (www.7evildwarves.com) and within a few minutes I get a flood of information and support. After years of writing groups and conferences, I find myself enjoying the social aspect of this supposed solitary profession. Authors do not have push someone down to make it to the top. There is more than enough room for everyone to encourage and support each other in our writing goals.

So as I am finally taking another step and joining this online community, I am excited to branch out and meet others on this world wide web. I’m hoping to find out just how big this world really is.

DeAnna Browne's Offical Author Site

Fantastical worlds with edgy romance